• Fred Keakaokalani Cachola

    Fred Keakaokalani Cachola was born at a time when Hawai‘i was still a territory, graduating from Kamehameha Schools in 1953, six years before Hawai‘i became the 50th state. He was in the U.S. Army, yet remained a Hawaiian in every…

  • Habitat for Humanity

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    By Karen Valentine To build a community takes more than money. Habitat for Humanity West Hawaii has come up with a term that is friendlier than fundraising. Want to make friends? Engage in a Friend-Raising activity with Habitat. This year,…

  • Kainaliu Town

    Venturing south from Kailua-Kona is the charming town of Kainaliu. Whistle-stop in size, this quaint, island-style locale is named for an ancient canoe bailer who served under King Keawenuia‘umi in the 16th Century. Kainaliu means “bail out the bilge,” and was…

  • Ke Ola Pono: Feast or Famine

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    By Leilehua Yuen In the Northern hemisphere, the season of feasting is over and we are now heading into a more ascetic phase. Whether this is through religious doctrine, or simply following the cycles of nature, it still holds true.…

  • Kohala Youth Ranch

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    By Denise Laitinen A man is standing on the outer edge inside a round horse pen in scenic North Kohala trying to get a horse, who is standing in the middle of the ring, to obey his non-verbal commands. It’s…

  • Man on a Blue Mission: Bryce Groark

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    Chances are if you’ve ever been on the Fair Wind snorkel boat, you’ve sat in on a Bryce Groark fish class. Although Bryce’s cinematography and marine research work takes him all over the world, his roots are in Kealakekua Bay.…

  • Managing with Aloha: Ho’omau – Love the One You’re With

    The song lyric, “Love the one you’re with” is superb Ho‘omau-driven advice quite applicable to business. Its language of intention resonates. “Love the one you’re with” is better coaching than “practice continuous improvement.” It sounds more intriguing, and well worth…

  • Kukuau Studio

    Build it and they will come. And come they have. Since opening Kukuau Studio in downtown Hilo two years ago, musician and music/vocal teacher Bub Pratt has created a community center that provides music instruction by day and performance art space…

  • Almanac in the Sky

    Like many peoples around the world, from ancient times Polynesians have been guided by the stars. The constellations move in predictable rhythms across the sky, with mathematical precision, unchanging over the course of many human lifespans. Weather patterns come and…

  • Meet the Artists of South Kona

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    Artists are often reclusive people. You may imagine them sitting in a messy studio, contemplating the universe until some inspiration enters their being, causing a masterpiece to be born. That may not be too far from the truth! Bringing their…

  • Chinese New Year

    Around the world, the new year is celebrated at the stroke of midnight on January 1st to ring in the coming year. In Hawai‘i, we celebrate another popular traditional New Year’s event as well, which happens about a month later.…

  • It’s Cherry Blossom Time!

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    The age-old tradition of hanami is celebrated on Hawai‘I Island every first Saturday in February during the annual Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival. It’s when cool-clime Waimea, often back-dropped by a wintery white summit atop Mauna Kea, boasts an eruption…

  • Wedding Lei

    The lei, that iconic symbol of our islands, is actually found in many cultures. Swiss maidens, Hindu priests, Thai brides and grooms, the flower children of the 60s, and Neanderthal of 60,000 years ago all have been noted for their flower…

  • A Royal Wedding

    One of the best documented royal weddings of Hawai‘i’s monarchy is that of Alexander Liholiho (King Kamehameha IV) and Emma Na‘ea Rooke. Their wedding captures the height of that romantic era in Hawai‘i’s history. On the morning of June 19,…

  • Exotic Wedding Recipes

    If you’re looking to get married in a beautiful place, where you can start your “happily ever after” in a dreamy location, look no further than Hawai‘i Island. Tropical breezes, stunning sunsets, lush, green rainforests, waterfalls, beaches, and mountain backdrops…Hawai‘i…

  • Feeling the Touch of Aloha with Aunty Tutu

    The rich, deep tones resounding forth from a conch shell announce the beginning of the ceremony—like the first strains of “Here Comes the Bride,” or the ringing of a church bell. This is the Hawaiian way, with the pū (conch…

  • Ka Puana: The Canoe Maker’s Son

    Author Cecilia Johansen is a Waimea, Hawai‘i Island resident. These excerpts are used with permission.  Page 31 Nāihe was well-respected from Kaimū all the way to ‘Āpua. However, the men would not offend him by saying they had already seen…

  • Ka Wehena: Kaulana Lekeleke

    Na Kumu Keala Ching Eō e Keauhou, kaulana Lekeleke Kaua pili kapu, kapu o Kuamo‘o Mālama ke Akua, Akua o Pili Kūka‘ilimoku Akua ko Kamehameha ē Kaulana Lekeleke, Kuamo‘o iho nō Kaulana Lekeleke, Kuamo‘o a‘e nō Kekuaokalani, he ali‘i kō…

  • 1500 Shades of Aunty Betty Webster

    By Catherine Tarleton Aunty Betty Webster and I are having lunch at a local restaurant. She walks in, grabs two menus, and sits in the first booth, facing the door. Aunty, Waimea’s official “sunglass queen” is sporting big bright yellow…

  • How to See Papahānaumokuākea–And How to Say It!

    By Karen Valentine From exploring and visiting a real gem of a visitors’ attraction in Hilo. Mokupāpapa Discovery Center is the primary interpretive center for the Northwest Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument—more correctly named Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Not only…

  • The Joys of the Season

    By Sonia R. Martinez From Thanksgiving until the end of December is the perfect time of year to open your home for entertaining. Your house will be showing its best side by already being decorated and ready for the festive…

  • Recycle Hawai’i: Promoting Reuse in a Big Way

    By Paula Thomas Recycle Hawai‘i, a nonprofit organization based in Hilo, has a stated goal to increase resource awareness and to encourage recycling and sustainable practices in our community. Its mission? To promote resource awareness and recycling enterprises in Hawai‘i.…